Reviews by Frosty80:

Color: pours medium brown with golden highlights. sits very deep ruby with brown hue. creamy, two-finger, mocha head with good retention and lacing

Smell: first to impress the nose are the barrel components: spicy whiskey, vanilla and oak. carried by those are notes of sweet, bready malt, a pinch of nuttiness, and hints of dark fruit. a tinge of chocolate seems to be nestled in amongst the aromas. the faintest presence of coconut seems to press through as well. the alcohol provides a nice thin layer of icing on the top.

Taste: the 10%+ abv does maintain a firm, but not overwhelming grip on the tongue throughout most of the palate. like the nose, first to show are the bourbon barrel notes of vanilla, oak and rye whisky. a tinge of chocolate and caramel. dark fruit notes are minimal but present as is a light nuttiness. sweet, bready malts round everything out throug the palate. finish holds a very light bitterness with a soft bite of alcohol and sweet, bready malt to coat the mouth.

More User Reviews:

Reviewing the Jewbelation Vertical (Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Blend) from Shmaltz Brewing Company (He'Brew) out of Saratoga Springs, New York. This strong ale is a blend of He'Brew's eight, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteen and fourteenth anniversary beers, which was subsequently barrel aged in 6 year rye whiskey barrels. I have been sitting on this bottle for a few years.

Score: 93

2013 vintage bottle served in a GLASS and enjoyed on 02/24/13 to celebrate the Oscars. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color that is almost black in color. Not opaque, with amber highlights atop and bottom when held up to the light. A finger-plus of beige head off the pour. Good lacing and retention. 4.25/5

Taste: Caramel, toffee, vanilla, molasses and cocoa throughout with a touch of alcohol warmth in finish. There is a nice kick from the rye too. Tons of toffee and fig in finish. Dark fruit and plum are also present. Excellent medley of malty flavors and barrel character! 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, medium carbonation. Quite malty with a good sweetness, but it's not a "sweet" beer. A touch over carbonated, but that is nothing that letting the beer sit out on the counter for 30 minutes can't solve. 3.5/5

Overall: Easily He'Brew's best beer. If the carbonation was a little lower this would have been even better. I wonder if they'll ever attempt to replicate this beer by blending and barrel aging more recent vintages. I am glad I have a few more bottles of this, as it is aging wonderfully.

Poured into a large tulip glass a deep dark brown with some ruby highlights when held to the light,a one finger frothy off white head atop.Aromas of wood and vanilla mixed with sweet alcohol and dark fruit,not much hop presence but a whole lot of good malty vibes.Thick and coating mouthfeel,its chewey but not overbearing.Flavors of vanilla and oak with alcohol dipped dark fruit,the leafy hops come in and bring a light drying element.Its big and brash,for sure a sipper,it has alot of different malty complexities without being devoid of a hop profile,well done.

A - Pours a deep reddish brown with one and a half fingers of creamy looking light brown head. Head has nice retention. Leaves nice lacing.

S - Quite a bit of oak and vanilla. Roasted malts with a bit of char, lots of dark dried fruits, chocolate, toffee, and some coffee.

T - Similar to the nose, but the chocolate, toffee and dark fruits come through first, with the oak, vanilla and whiskey coming through later. The rye whiskey aging adds a bit of spiciness that is very nice. Finishes a bit sweeter, with some herbal hop bitterness thrown in. Very nice.

M - Full mouthfeel, but not overly heavy. Some sweetness, but drying from the oak really takes over on the finish.

O - I haven't had any of the base beer recipes yet, but this is blended well enough to come together and not seem like a blend. The rye whiskey aging offers a nice flavor alternative to the sweeter bourbon.

Thanks to jjfoodie and yelof77 for sharing this bottle. I am a big fan of the other Jewbelation beers so I have high hopes for this one. Review number 1,800 on Beer Advocate.

The beer pours a dark brownish-red color with a tan head. The aroma is heavy on the rye whiskey, but I also get a lot of cherries, maple, oak and vanilla. A very inviting aroma.

The flavor is heavy on the brown sugar, rye whiskey, maple and roasted malt. The alcohol, as it is in most Jewbelation beers, is present. That being said, it goes very well with the other flavors and doesn't hurt the drinkability in any way.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Very drinkable for a beer that is 10.5 percent alcohol. A great beer that didn't disappoint.

Pours a light black color. Not alot of head, but I can tell right away that it has a good amount of carbonation because I can hear it. Smells like bourbon, and burnt sugar. Tastes the same, just with some malt. I do like the bourbon, but this brew lacks depth. Light mouthfeel, quite a bit of carbonation. It's not that this is bad, but it's not worth what I paid for it (I think 14 bucks). I'd probably buy it again if it were half the price.

Pours black with a one-finger dark tan head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of smooth roasted malts with dark chocolate and vanilla aromas. Also present are mild amounts of rye spiciness.

Tastes more robust than it smells. Large roasted malts and dark chocolate flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by smooth vanilla. Joining in shortly thereafter are mild amounts of butterscotch and dark molasses flavors. Midway through the sip the flavor profile dries out a bit with the addition of spicy rye that carries through to a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It’s got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall this is the second time I’ve had this beer and it calmed down substantially from the previous time I’d had it (also on-tap). A surprisingly smooth beer that’s well worth a shot.

(Served in a snifter)
Batch/case 002/842 bottled date 12/1/2010
A- This beer pours a jet black body with a tan head that is sticky and a few tiny bubbles at the base.

S- This beer has a nice rich bourbon barrel aroma with a slightly sweet wood and caramel aroma with a paper straw quality to it.

T- The buttery vanilla oak has a softer bourbon taste to follow with some roasted malt flavor. There is some sweet caramel and toffee notes with dried fruit hint in the mix. The finish has a soft hop bitterness that completes the beer.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel is slightly creamy and there is no alcohol noticed until the beer warms a bit. There is a tight little scrubbing fizz in the finish.

O- This beer is sweet but not cloying and a big rich malt flavor balances the big barrel flavor. The finish is just a bit to dry with a bitter quality coming through that is not really hop related. This beer is nicely blended and aged.

12oz bottle, dated 10/4/2010, the last of the comprehensive Jewbelation variety pack...sigh...

This beer pours a deep, very dark cola hue, with two fingers of thin frothy beige head, which settles soon enough, leaving a Cartesian map of lace around the glass. It smells strongly of the trappings of bourbon - corn, spice, and astringent, woody alcohol, with an underlying roasted malt. The taste is much more sweet upfront - chocolate malt, a bit of bittersweet coffee, vanilla and caramel barrel flavours, some oily nuttiness, a bit of soused black fruit, and a general rye whiskey-inflected alcohol burn, which overrides any nascent hop presence. The carbonation is there, but fairly mute, the body medium-full in weight, a bit viscous, and smooth, but for a zingy edge surfing the tongue. It finishes off-dry, in the 'Imperial' sense - a residual woody sweetness, held up by a boozy bitterness.

The bourbon barrel essence features prominently, and if that's your thing, this'll wow your socks off. Me, I'm more on the fence, but can still admit this is a very well made big beer. The hefty 10.5% ABV isn't nearly as evident as the associated whiskey flavour would suggest. An agreeable sipper, to be sure.

more than exceeded my expectations. Had it on tap 2-3 months ago and was not at all impressed.

Sure loving it now from a 6 month old bottle, bottled Dec 1, 2010

A - DARK brown, almost black - excellent head retention, lacing and very active still in the tulip. Swirls bring up a sold one inch head that sticks around!

S - very good but when warms, fantastic. Chocolate caramel brownie soaked in brown sugared Bourbon.

T - Matches nose but add some Oak, rye bourbon and vanilla, molasses and a wee bit of liquorice. Bourbon integrated perfectly. Does not overpower, nor take a back seat. Let's the complexities of the verticals still shine and make their place known.

M - I wanted to give this a 4 because I'd like more of a velvet softer stout mouthfeel with this one but it's not a stout. It's a Strong Ale and Phuck. The mouthfeel is about as good as it gets for a Stong Ale friends...

O - At the $11.99 price tag a STEAL! Other Breweries take notice. I wish I had another to age another 6-12 months. *EDIT* Now that I'm finishing this gem...it really is one of the better Bourbon Bal-aged beers out there...grab one if you can. Easiest Bal-aged bomber I've ever finished...could kill another if I had it.

[Bottling date: 12/1/2010] Huge fan of the Jewbelation series since the 10/Monumental, so I had to purchase this, despite not being 100% into whiskey-barrel aged beers. Of course, some exceptions have blown me away, so I couldn't wait much longer to pop the cap...

The Jewbelation beers always look phenomenal, and this one is no different: huge fluffy mocha/tan head, very firm and long lasting, sitting on top of a black as dark and dire as midnight in hell.

Aroma is already sending up some warning flags for those of us that don't actually like whiskey much, because that's very much the dominant smell here. For the whiskey buffs, this blend of the seven previous Jewbelations was aged in "Sazerac 6 Year Rye Whiskey Barrels." This aroma doesn't let many other traits of the beer through, other than a light touch of chocolate. I would say "a whiff of alcohol" too, but that seems an inseparable component of the whiskey element.

I was hoping the whiskey component wouldn't glaze over everything else that these beers are offering (TONS of malt, TONS of hops), and it doesn't quite do that. It succeeds better than the aroma at offering a well-rounded array of flavors. There's a wide variety of dark fruits (especially fig, raisin and plum), an exquisite and rich chocolate/toffee mixture, a wood/smoke/alcohol/whiskey symbiosis, and an attempt on the part of the hops to impart their green brightness in this rather dark, malty, beastly beer. Alcohol isn't dominant, nor is it timid, performing at just the right level. A generic (ie. hard to define, not bad) spiciness prevails mostly through the finish.

The feel of the beer is top-notch, a slick syrupy texture that is chewy without feeling over-weighty. Nice job there.

I like this a lot. But given my aversion to whiskey barrel-aged beers that lean too heavily on the whiskey side of the equation, it's easy for me to say that I prefer the Jewbelations in their relatively virgin state (although even those are some pretty wild and mutated beers). All in all, a memorable experience and one any fan of the Jewbelation series should try.

Bottle provided by Kevin, thanks man! Pours black with a one finger off white mocha head that settles to a collar with a tiny bit of lacing. Smells very malty, lots of bourbon and oak, spicy rye, figs and currents and other dark fruits. Taste is similar, but not what I was expecting. Bourbon, oak, vanilla up first with some sweet roasted malts following. Finish is slightly bitter with lots of barrel flavors and a hint of char. No alcohol heat or burn, this is a very solid beer. Heavy body with a light carbonation, slightly coating but not sticky. This is by far my favorite of the Jewbelations, the rest have all been a bit on the boozey side. I cant say that I can pick out any individual anniversary beer, but the combination is quite good. The barrel lends its flavor seamlessly into the mix. Definitley recommend this beer.

Complex, strong, whiskey right there, some sourness. Black with big lace. Would have this again, but it is big, and noticeably boozy. jason's bottle. Above average mouthfeel.Whiskey and barreling come through in smell.Possibly the best in the series because of the differing tastes work with a meal.

A - Pours velvet black with a good sized mocha colored foam. Some carbonation that quickly settles. Decent lacing in my tulip glass.

S - Complex with notes of vanilla, herbal spices, fresh bread, and a hint of coffee. Just an awesome mixture that make for one heck of an air freshener.

T - You can quickly taste the rye oaky flavor that tastes like a good irish whiskey. I can taste some fresh vanilla, some molasses, and the finish has a corss between herbal tea or a breakfast belnd coffee.

M - A good sipper. A thick beer with plenty of bite. Some bite hits the back of the tongue.

O - A nice concept beer. I would like to try this again and after some more age. The layers of falvors will certianly change the profile over time.

Vertical Jewbelation pours a dark chocolate fudge color. It's almost opaque, but light reveals burgundy highlights at the center and edges. A soft, tan head caps it off. It stands about a finger tall before falling quickly. A moderate web of sticky lace was left clinging to the glass.

The nose is pretty good, but is lacking a little in the strength department. It's malty up front, but doesn't smell very sweet. Caramel and bittersweet dark chocolate are appreciated. There is a hint of whiskey, but it's subtle and complementary. I like that pretty well. It's restrained, and not overdone at all. Secondary notes of oak, vanilla, coconut, and light coffee are noted. Alcohol is blended quite well, and doesn't come through strong at all.

The flavor is definitely a couple of notches above the nose. It has a very diverse malt base that features caramel, dark chocolate, and roasted malts. It's a strong combo. The barrel aging imparted a very nice, light whiskey flavor that complements the malt base perfectly. I have no idea how long it was in barrels, but it was the right amount of time. Oak and vanilla are secondary, but add quality depth and character. Other flavors include coconut, roasted coffee, and very subtle molasses. Alcohol is noted, but doesn't come through too strong. It's not warming or hot at all. Finishes malty with a touch of coffee and whiskey. Damn...this is very impressive.

Vertical Jewbelation has a light medium body that feels too thin. Carbonation is very light, but it still feels too thin. It is nearly smooth though. Drinkability is good. I like the flavor quite a bit, and it goes down easy. It is a bit strong, but this bomber is disappearing quickly nonetheless.

I don't pick up beer from Shmaltz Brewing Company very often, but this is one instance in which I'm very glad that I did. Vertical Jewbelation is a blend of all seven Jewbelation recipes that was aged in Sazerac whiskey barrels. The result is a winner. Yeah, the nose could use more strength and more body would help immensely. But, this is very good beer nonetheless. If you see a bottle, grab one. I suspect you'll be skeptical (as I was), but this is good stuff.

I feel like sometimes when you blend too many things together, instead of getting a more complex beer, the high notes get lost and the beer gets dumbed down. This was such a beer.

I will say, it was surprisingly smooth and a nice dessert beer. I got a couple toffee and coffee notes, but mostly this beer sat on the smooth chocolate malts and spicy vanilla barrel character. It was quite nice, I just wanted more depth.